Cigar packaging machine



Sept. 20, 1966 N. 0. MACLENNAN 3,273,306

CIGAR PACKAGING MACHINE Filed June 17, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 m I g] NVENTOR NORMAN D. MACLENNAN ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 20, 1966 N. D. MACLENNAN CIGAR PACKAGING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 17, 1963 Fl II mwoz ru 0:45:62."-

INVENTIOR 50235 2225? I I z 3 NORMAN D. MACLENNAN ATTORNEYS Sept. 20, 1966 N. D. MACLENNAN CIGAR PACKAGING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet .5

Filed June 17, 1963 INVENTOR NORMAN D. MACLENNAN ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,273,306 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 3,273,306 CIGAR PACKAGING MACHINE Norman D. Maclennan, Dorval, Quebec, Canada, assignor to Imperial Tobacco Company of Canada Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Filed June 17, 1963, Ser. No. 288,161 Claims. (Cl. 53-186) This invention relates to cigar packaging machinery of the general type disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,095,938 and has as its object to provide a machine of this type which, compared to hitherto known machines, is simpler in construction, less expensive, easier to maintain, readily movable and has a higher safety factor.

It is another object to incorporate in the machine a simplified carton erection mechanism.

It is a further object of the invention to utilize simple pneumatically operated means for effecting the required movements of the cigars and cartons rather than complicated mechanical linkages.

Preferably, the machine also incorporates simplified carton closing means.

The invention is an automatic cigar packaging machine comprising a magazine for holding a supply of collapsed cigar cartons, pneumatically operated carton feed means for receiving and feeding cartons from said magazine, carton stop means movable into the path of a carton being fed from said carton magazine whereby the carton will be erected automatically, at first switch adapted to be actuated by cigars in position for packaging, a second switch in series with said first switch and adapted to be actuated by an erected carton in position to receive the cigars to be packaged, pneumatically operated means for pushing cigars into the erected carton, and a control circuit controlling the operation of said cigar pushing means and including said first and second switches, whereby said cigar pushing means can be operated only after said first and second switches have been actuated.

The cigars may be fed directly from a cigar wrapping and/ or band applying machine to the cigar guide means, thus avoiding the need for cigar transferring mechanism.

The components of the machine may be mounted on a bed plate which may form the top plate of a wheeled trolley so that it can readily be moved to a suitable location.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic plan view of the machine showing the manner in which the cigars and cartons are handled as they pass through the machine;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic representation of the machine control system; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the carton erection mechanism.

As shown, the machine has a bed plate 1 on which are mounted two upstanding ribs 2, 3 defining an entry guide to the machine for cigars 4 fed thereto from a cigar wrapping and banding machine (not shown). When a sufficient supply of cigars has been fed to the machine, the foremost cigar engages and closes a switch S. Also mounted on bed plate 1 is a magazine 6 for collapsed cartons 7. A carton feeder plate 8 having a feeding edge 8a is reciprocable through the bottom of the magazine 6 to deliver the cartons from the magazine one at a time to a filling station, i.e. to the cigar-receiving position shown at 7a. It will be noted that the carton has been erected at 7a. This is achieved quite simply, according to the present invention, by providing a vertically reciprocable stop 8b movable to lie in the path of the collapsed carton as it is moved out of the magazine by the plate 8. The movements of the stop 8b are controlled by a pneumatic piston-and-cylinder assembly 9 mounted on a bracket 10 secured to a spring-mounted carton holddown plate 19a above the path of the cartons through the machine. The edge 8a of plate 8 pushing against the trailing side edge of the carton forces the leading side edge against the stop 8b in its lowered position andthe carton is automatically erected by the squeezing action thus produced. Referring particularly to FIGURE 3, it will be seen that the plate 8 has pushed collapsed carton 7 from magazine 6 up leaf spring fingers 6a to engage in the corner formed by hold-down plate 10a and carton stop 85. Continued movement of plate 8 towards the right in FIGURE 3 causes the downward folding of the eventual lower right hand corner edge 7' of the carton, against the action of spring fingers 6a, and the upward folding of the eventual left-hand corner edge 7 of the carton.

A switch 11 in series with switch 5 is located so that it will be closed by the leading corner of the tuck-in flap 12 of an erected carton in cigar-receiving position 7a. A double-acting pneumatic piston-and-cylinder assembly 13 under plate 1 is brought into operation to feed five cigars into an erected carton only when both switches 5 and 11 are closed, i.e. when both cigar and carton supply are correct. If an erected carton is not in position, for example when the supply of cartons from magazine 6 is exhausted, the cigars will not be fed into the carton path. Of course, if the cigars were fed in the absence of a carton, the cigars would be wasted and there would be a loss of time as the loose cigars are removed and the machine is set up again.

As shown in FIGURE 2, pressurized air is fed to the piston-andcylinder assembly 13 from an :air supply line 14 through a flow control valve 15 and a 4-way valve 16 controlled by solenoid 17 and a small control piston-andcylinder assembly 18. Solenoid 17 is in series with the switches 5 and 11 and actuates the valve 16 when these switches are closed, to effect the working stroke of the piston of assembly 13. At the end of the working stroke the piston rod of the assembly 13 opens a valve 19 which connects the air supply line 14 through line 20 to the assembly 18, returning valve 16 to its original position to effect the return stroke of the piston of assembly 13.

The piston rod 21 of assembly 13 is connected to cigar pusher 22 to which is attached a side bar 23 which holds back the cigars in the entry guide during the carton filling operation. The thrust of the cigar wrapping and/ or banding machine output is absonbed by the cigars themselves.

It will be noted that valve 19, when opened by piston rod 21 also connects air supply line 14 to a pneumatic control assembly, 24, similar to assembly 18, to actuate a valve 25 for effecting the working stroke of a cartonindexing piston-and-cylinder assembly 26 mounted on the underside of plate 1. The piston rod 27 of assembly 26 is connected to a slidable carriage 28 which has four pairs of spring-loaded pawls 29 which project upwardly through longitudinal slots 29a in plate 1 and index the filled cartons from position 7a to positions 7b, 7c, 7d and 7e. The carriage 28 is also connected to plate 8 to effect reciprocation thereof for feeding the cartons from magazine 6 to position 7a. To prevent the filled cartons from being returned with carriage 28 on its return stroke there are provided three pairs of spring-loaded retaining pawls 30 projecting upwardly through suitably provided holes in plate 1, one pair being fixed in advance of each of positions 7b, 7c and 7d. The pawls 29, of course, depress and pass under the cartons on the return stroke of carriage 28 and the pawls 30 depress as the cartons pass over them on the indexing stroke of the carriage.

The re-se-tting of valve 25 to effect the return stroke of carriage 28 by the piston rod 27 is carried out by another small piston-and-cylinder assembly 31, similar to assemblies 18 and 24. The assembly 31 is brought into action by a cam indicated chematically by numeral 32 in FIG- URE 2, which cam is attached to piston rod 27 and opens a valve 33 to connect air supply line 14 to the assembly 31 through lines 34 and 35, when the piston rod 27 reaches the end of its working stroke. Another cam, indicated schematically by numeral 36 and also attached to piston rod 27, opens a valve 37 to connect air supply line 14 to the piston-and-cylinder assembly 9 through lines 34 and 38. As stated above, the stop 8b provided for erection of the collapsed cartons is controlled by the assembly 9. The stop is mounted on the upper end of the piston rod of assembly Q and the piston, and hence the stop, is spring-loaded to carton-intercepting position with the piston rod retracted. However, when valve 37 is opened, the piston of assembly 9 is pushed up the cylinder against the spring action to raise the stop and allow the erected and filled package to be indexed, under the stop, from position 7a to position 7b. Thus, cam 36 must open valve 37 at the start of the working stroke of piston rod 27 and allow it to close again as soon as the filled package has cleared the stop, so the stop can return to intercept the next collapsed carton.

The air supply line 14 is connected to valve 25 via a flow control valve 39 and valve 25 is connected to assembly 26 by lines 40 and 41, line 40 also containing a flow control valve 42.

It will be noted from FIGURE 2 that there are three separate pneumatic circuits, one for carton erection, fill ing and indexing, one for carton compression and one for carton discharge. The first one of these circuits has now been fully described and its operation will now be explained briefly before going into the description of the other two sections.

To start the machine operation when there is no carton at position 7a, a manual control is provided for valve 19 as indicated at 43. Thus, valve 19 can be opened by the operator to pressurize assembly 24, thereby actuating valve 25 to effect the working stroke of piston rod 27, carriage 28 and plate 8. Plate 6, of course, takes the bottom collapsed carton from "magazine 6 and indexes it against the stop to effect erection of the carton and also against switch 11 to close same. The cam 32, as described above, will operate to return rod 27 and carriage 28. Now the machine will operate automatically to erect, fill and index cartons so long as a supply of cartons and cigars is available. The cigars will close switch to energize solenoid 17, thereby actuating valve 16 to effect the working stroke of cigar feed piston rod 21. The rod 21 automatically opens valve 19 to effect its own return and the working stroke of rod 27. The return of rod 21 allows a fresh load of cigars to close switch 5 and the working stroke of rod 27 effects indexing of an empty carton against switch 11 to start the cycle all over again.

Extending longitudinally of the machine and on opposite sides of carriage 28 are flap-closure means in the form of rigid cam plates. Thus, as shown at the top of FIGURE 1, a set of cam plates or folder horns 44 is disposed to first fold upwardly the outer part of tuck-in flap 12, as the carton is indexed from position 7a to position 7b, and then to fold the inner part of this flap upwardly while at the same time folding the outer part inwards as the carton is indexed to position 7c, whereby the flap is tucked into the carton. At the opposite side of the carriage 28, a cam plate 45 engages the bottom flap of a pair of flaps on the carton at its other end and folds this bottom flap upwards as the carton is moved to position 717. Between positions 712 and 7c the upper flap 46 of the carton passes over a vertical glue applicator wheel 47 driven from electric motor 48 via belt 49 and pulleys 50, 51, pulley 51 and wheel 47 being rigidly mounted on a shaft 52. The lower portion of the wheel is, of course, immersed in a glue bath to pick up glue therefrom and apply it to the underside of flap 46. As the carton is indexed from position 70 to position 7d, a

further cam plate 53 folds flap 46 downwards against the upwardly folded lower flap to glue said flaps together for forming a permanently closed end on the carton.

Since it is extremely difficult to illustrate by a twodimensional drawing, the three-dimensional curvature of the cam plates used and, in any event, since the actual construction thereof can readily be envisioned by those skilled in the art, knowing what function they have to perform, no attempt has been made in the drawings to illustrate the actual construction of the cam plates. To illustrate that the construction can readily be envisioned by those skilled in the art, reference is made, by way of example, to plate 45, which has to fold a horizontal lower flap upwardly to a vertical position. To achieve this action, it is obvious that the plate 45 must have an initial substantially horizontal portion at the level of bed plate 1, an eventual substantially vertical portion positioned to abut the end of the carton body, and an intermediate smoothly curved transition portion.

A closed carton at position 7d is indexed once again to position 7e. In this position it lies in a compression section generally indicated by numeral 54. The compression section consists of a fixed wall 55 and a movable wall 56 and it can be seen that a carton will dwell in this section for the length of time it takes to index four more cartons into the section. This will allow the setting of the glue to form the permanently closed end of the carton.

The movements of wall 56 are effected by twin pistonand-cylinder assemblies 57 under the control of a fourway valve 58 actuated by a carton passing from position 7d to position 7e. Thus, referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, when the leading edge of a carton engages the valve 58, compressed air is directed from line 14 to line 59 to move wall 56 away from wall 55 by assemblies 57 and allow unrestricted entry of the carton into the compression section 54. When the carton has passed the valve 58, the latter being spring-loaded to return to its original position, the compressed air is diverted to line 60 to be fed to the other end of the assemblies 57 via flow control valve 61 and thus effect return of the movable wall 56 to carton compressing position.

A carton being indexed into the compression section, assuming section 54 is fully occupied, displaces a carton from the other end of this section to an up-ending station 62. It will be noted that a carton in station 62 is free of hold-down plate 10a. A cruciform plate 63 lies in a similarly shaped slot in bed plate 1 and is adapted to be pivoted upwards through to a position adjacent the entry to a discharge section 64 by a piston-and-cylinder assembly 65 when a package closes a switch 66. It will thus be seen that a package pushed into station 62 will be up-ended and pushed into discharge section 64 automatically.

As shown in FIGURE 2, closing of switch 66 energizes a solenoid 67 which operates a four-way valve 68 to direct compressed air from line 14 to assembly 65 via line 69 and flow control valve 70, thus pushing piston rod 71 from cylinder 72 to effect upward pivoting of plate 63. A cam, indicated schematically at 73, on the end of piston rod 71, actuates a three-way valve 74 to direct compressed air from line 14 to miniature piston-andeylinder assembly 75 via line 76, thus returning valve 68 to its original position to, in turn, direct compressed air via line 77 to cylinder 72 and retract piston rod 71, whereby plate 63 is pivoted downwards again into the slot in bed plate 1.

The discharge section 64 comprises a pair of side walls 73 and 79 to which inwardly directed bristles may be attached to bear on the sides of the cartons and resiliently hold the cartons in their upright position. Also a top may be provided, particularly at the entry end of the discharge section, provided with downwardly directed bristles to engage the tops of the cartons and prevent them from falling backwards or forwards.

The machine is preferably adaptable to different cigar sizes and for this purpose carrier brackets are adjustably mounted on the bed plate 1 for carrying upstanding rib 3, cam plates 44, Wall 55 and wall 79, and provision is made for adjusting the stroke of pusher 22 and the walls of magazine 6.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An automatic cigar packaging machine comprising a magazine for a supply of collapsed cartons, carton feed and erection means for feeding collapsed cartons from said magazine and erecting them at a filling station, means for filling an erected carton with cigars at said filling station, and means for closing said carton after it is filled, said carton feed and erection means comprising a bed plate along which a collapsed carton is fed to said filling station, a carton feeder member, means for moving said carton feeder member along the upper surface of said bed plate to push the collapsed carton into said filling station with a longitudinal edge of the cart-on leading and the diametrally opposed longitudinal edge being engaged by said carton feeder member, said longitudinal edges constituting the eventual upper right-hand and lower lefthand corners of the transverse cross-section of the erected carton, assuming that the carton is fed into the filling station from left to right, stop means engageable by the leading edge of the collapsed carton being fed, a carton hold-down plate spaced above said bed plate a distance approximately equal to the depth of an erected carton, said stop means and said hold-down plate defining the upper-right hand corner of the filling station, and leafspring means extending upwardly from said bed plate at an acute angle towards said corner of the filling station to guide the leading edge of the carton to said corner, whereby the carton is automatically erected upon continued movement of said carton feeder member.

2. An automatic cigar packaging machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said carton feeder member comprises a fiat feeder plate mounted on a reciprocable carriage for reciprocation through the bottom of said magazine, the depth of said plate being such that, when it is moved out of the magazine and then moved in again it will displace one collapsed carton only and index the latter against said stop means.

3. An automatic cigar packaging machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said stop means is movable, pneumatically-operated means being provided to move the stop out of the path of an erected carton as the latter is indexed to said means for closing the carton and to move the stop back into the path of a collapsed carton being fed to said filling station.

4. An automatic cigar packaging machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bed plate defines the bottom of said magazine and said carton feeder member is a flat plate reciprocable through the magazine on said bed plate, pneumatically-operated means being provided to effect the desired reciprocation of said plate.

5. In an automatic cigar packaging machine, carton erection means, pneumatic pusher means for pushing cigars into an erected carton, flap closure means for folding upper and lower flaps at one end of the carton downwards and upwards, respectively, to bring said flaps together in superposed relationship, glue applicator means for applying glue to at least one of said flaps before they are superposed, and pressure-applying means to hold said flaps together until the glue has set sufliciently, said pressure-applying means comprising a rigid plate adapted to engage the other end of the carton, a movable plate adapted to engage said one end of the carton, pneumatically-operated means for urging said movable plate toward and away from said fixed plate, a control circuit for controlling the operation of said pneumaticallyoperated means, and a switch in said control circuit adapted to be actuated by a carton being moved to said pressure-applying means, whereby said pneumaticallyoperated means is operated only in response to the presence of a carton at the entry to said pressure-applying means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,694,350 11/1954 Malhiot 53-186 X 3,213,589 10/1965 Hollenton 63--55 TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN AUTOMATIC CIGAR PACKAGING MACHINE COMPRISING A MAGAZINE FOR A SUPPLY OF COLLAPSED CARTONS, CARTON FEED AND ERECTION MEANS FOR FEEDING COLLAPSED CARTONS FROM SAID MAGAZINE AND ERECTING THEM AT A FILLING STATION, MEANS FOR FILLING AN ERECTED CARTON WITH CIGARS AT SAID FILLING STATION, AND MEANS FOR CLOSING SAID CARTON AFTER IT IS FILLED, SAID CARTON FEED AND ERECTION MEANS COMPRISING A BED PLATE ALONG WHICH A COLLAPSED CARTON IS FED TO SAID FILLING STATION, A CARTON FEEDER MEMBER, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CARTON FEEDER MEMBER ALONG THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BED PLATE TO PUSH THE COLLAPSED CARTON INTO SAID FILLING STATION WITH A LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF THE CARTON LEADING AND THE DIAMETRALLY OPPOSED LONGITUDINAL EDGE BEING ENGAGED BY SAID CARTON FEEDER MEMBER, SAID LONGITUDINAL EDGES CONSTITUTING THE EVENTUAL UPPER RIGHT-HAND AND LOWER LEFT- 